State needs more infrastructure investment

Craig Thompson, Executive Director of the Wisconsin Transportation Development Association, doesn't believe any Wisconsin bridges will collapse anytime soon but he does say if the state doesn't invest properly there could be problems down the road.

Thompson says the state is behind and as roads, highways and bridges get older more things will start falling apart. He says transportation funding now being debated in the state budget is only a start.

Even if the transportation funding proposed by the governor and senate democrats should be approved, it only accounts for half of what the TDA feels is needed. But Thompson, realizing it won't all happen in one year, says it's a start.

At least, Thompson says, democrats and republicans agree to return transportation funding that was diverted to other areas. And while both sides agree revenue needs to be increased they disagree on how much.

Thompson says the state needs to look at things like user fees, registration fees and gas tax revenue to be properly invested in the state's infrastructure and make sure none of it gets diverted to other parts of the budget.